Hope and Assurance in Christ's Resurrection and Return

Devotional

Day 1: Living with Anticipation

Christians are called to live with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the return of Jesus Christ. This future event is not just a distant hope but a reality that should influence our daily lives, filling us with joy and purpose as we await His coming. The anticipation of Christ's return should transform our outlook on life, making us more resilient in the face of challenges and more committed to living out our faith. This sense of anticipation is not about escapism but about living fully in the present with the hope of a glorious future. [53:58]

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV): "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

Reflection: How can you incorporate the anticipation of Christ's return into your daily routine to bring more joy and purpose to your life today?

Day 2: The Reality of Death and Hope in Resurrection

Death is a universal experience that brings grief, but for believers, it is not the end. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that we, too, will be raised to eternal life. This hope should transform our grief into a confident expectation of being with the Lord forever. Understanding the reality of death and the hope of resurrection helps us to grieve differently from the world, with a hope rooted in the victory of Jesus over death. This perspective allows us to face the inevitability of death with a sense of peace and assurance. [01:00:00]

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (ESV): "When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'"

Reflection: How does the hope of resurrection change the way you view death and grief? Can you think of someone who needs to hear this message of hope today?

Day 3: The Order of Resurrection

The resurrection will occur in a specific order: first, those who have died in Christ will rise, followed by those who are alive at His coming. This sequence provides a structured hope and assurance that God's promises are true and will be fulfilled. Understanding this order helps us to grasp the magnitude of God's plan and the certainty of His promises. It reassures us that no matter the circumstances, God's plan is unfolding exactly as He has promised, giving us a firm foundation for our faith. [01:10:20]

1 Thessalonians 4:15 (ESV): "For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep."

Reflection: How does knowing the order of resurrection give you assurance in God's promises? How can this assurance impact your daily life and interactions with others?

Day 4: Living Righteously and Expectantly

While we await Christ's return, we are called to live righteously, reflecting the character of Jesus in our daily lives. This righteous living is a testimony to our faith and a preparation for the eternal life we will enjoy with Him. Living righteously involves making choices that honor God and demonstrate His love to others. It is about embodying the values of the Kingdom of God in our everyday actions and decisions, showing the world what it means to follow Jesus. [01:16:12]

Titus 2:11-13 (ESV): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

Reflection: What specific areas of your life need to align more closely with the character of Jesus? What steps can you take today to live more righteously and expectantly?

Day 5: God's Patience and Call to Salvation

God's patience is an opportunity for those who do not yet know Jesus to come to Him. The sermon emphasized the importance of responding to this call, as God's desire is for everyone to be saved and to experience the hope and assurance of eternal life. This patience is a demonstration of God's love and mercy, giving people the time they need to turn to Him. It is a reminder for believers to share the message of salvation with urgency and compassion, knowing that God's desire is for all to come to repentance. [01:19:15]

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV): "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear about God's patience and the call to salvation? How can you share this message with them in a loving and compassionate way today?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today's sermon focused on the hope and assurance we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His eventual return. We began by acknowledging the struggles and pains we all face in life, from aging to societal challenges, and how these difficulties can sometimes make us long for Christ's return. Despite these hardships, we are encouraged to live with joy and anticipation for the day when Jesus will come back, a day that is certain and should fill us with excitement and hope.

We delved into the reality of death, a universal experience that brings grief and pain. However, for those who believe in Jesus, death is not the end but a transition to eternal life with Him. The sermon emphasized that Christians should grieve differently from the world, with a hope rooted in the resurrection. We were reminded that Jesus' victory over death ensures that we, too, will be clothed in incorruptible, immortal bodies, free from the shame and vulnerability that sin brought into the world.

The sermon also touched on the order of resurrection, explaining that those who have died in Christ will rise first, followed by those who are still alive at His coming. This sequence underscores the hope and assurance we have in the promises of God. We were encouraged to live righteously and expectantly, knowing that our time on earth is fleeting compared to the eternity we will spend with the Lord.

Finally, the sermon called for those who do not yet know Jesus to come to Him, emphasizing God's patience and desire for everyone to be saved. It was a call to live a life of faith, hope, and love, encouraging each other with the truth of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life.

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Key Takeaways

1. Living with Anticipation: Christians should live with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the return of Jesus Christ. This future event is not just a distant hope but a reality that should influence our daily lives, filling us with joy and purpose as we await His coming. [53:58]
2. The Reality of Death and Hope in Resurrection: Death is a universal experience that brings grief, but for believers, it is not the end. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that we, too, will be raised to eternal life. This hope should transform our grief into a confident expectation of being with the Lord forever. [60:00]
3. The Order of Resurrection: The resurrection will occur in a specific order: first, those who have died in Christ will rise, followed by those who are alive at His coming. This sequence provides a structured hope and assurance that God's promises are true and will be fulfilled. [70:20]
4. Living Righteously and Expectantly: While we await Christ's return, we are called to live righteously, reflecting the character of Jesus in our daily lives. This righteous living is a testimony to our faith and a preparation for the eternal life we will enjoy with Him. [76:12]
5. God's Patience and Call to Salvation: God's patience is an opportunity for those who do not yet know Jesus to come to Him. The sermon emphasized the importance of responding to this call, as God's desire is for everyone to be saved and to experience the hope and assurance of eternal life. [01:19:15]
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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:58] - Entering His Presence
[24:24] - Anticipation of Christ's Return
[24:53] - The Reality of Life's Struggles
[25:15] - Aging and Youth Challenges
[25:41] - Signs of the Times
[26:30] - Living Righteously
[26:56] - The Hope of Resurrection
[27:23] - The Reality of Death
[41:27] - Assurance in Christ
[41:55] - The Order of Resurrection
[42:19] - Living with Confidence
[42:59] - Encouragement in Christ
[43:27] - God's Patience and Call to Salvation
[49:13] - Invitation to Know Jesus
[49:41] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to 1 Corinthians 15:54-56, what happens to our mortal bodies at the resurrection? How does this passage describe the victory over death?
In 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, what does Paul say about our confidence and preference regarding being at home in the body versus being with the Lord?
What does Jesus declare about Himself in John 11:25, and what promise does He give to those who believe in Him?
The sermon mentioned that Christians should grieve differently from the world. What is the basis for this different kind of grief? [01:07:15]

Interpretation Questions

How does the promise of being clothed with immortality in 1 Corinthians 15:54-56 provide hope and assurance for believers? What does this mean for our current struggles and pains?
In 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul talks about living by faith and not by sight. How does this perspective influence the way we live our daily lives and face challenges?
Jesus' statement in John 11:25 is central to Christian belief. How does this declaration shape our understanding of life, death, and resurrection?
The sermon emphasized living righteously and expectantly for Christ's return. What practical steps can we take to reflect the character of Jesus in our daily lives? [01:16:12]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you faced a significant struggle or pain. How did the hope of resurrection and eternal life influence your perspective during that time? [01:00:00]
The sermon encouraged us to live with anticipation for Christ's return. What are some practical ways you can cultivate a sense of excitement and readiness for this future event in your daily life? [53:58]
How can you support and encourage someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, using the hope and assurance of the resurrection as a foundation? [01:07:15]
The sermon mentioned the importance of living righteously while we await Christ's return. Identify one area in your life where you can make a change to better reflect the character of Jesus. What specific steps will you take this week? [01:16:12]
God's patience is an opportunity for those who do not yet know Jesus to come to Him. Think of someone in your life who does not yet know Christ. How can you share the message of hope and salvation with them this week? [01:19:15]
The sermon called for us to encourage each other with the truth of the resurrection. How can you incorporate this encouragement into your interactions with fellow believers, especially those who may be struggling with doubt or fear? [01:16:53]
Reflect on the reality of death and the promise of eternal life. How does this dual reality impact the way you prioritize your time, relationships, and resources? [01:00:00]

Sermon Clips

1. "This is what the resurrection day of Christ, his return, is going to be all about. That glorious day is it's something that's before us that we know it's out there. We should be excited about it. We should anticipate it. We should expect it. But we carry on until that day comes with great excitement. Christians, this is the joy we should have. This is the encouragement that the last verse right here in this text we encourage each other with those words. Jesus is coming and but we can continue to live life for him now until he does." [53:58] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Is life hard? I said is life hard? Everybody in here has got issues including me. Every single person in here has struggles. Every single person watching in this room present around the world's got a sin problem. Every single one of us we're in the same situation. Every single one of us has struggles. We have brokenness. We have hurts. We have pain. Every single one of us has a problem." [55:46] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "I want us to live that way. I want us to live in a way that Jesus could come back. I also think we start the more that happens we see I know churches is always the joke is how many baptists does it take to do this or do that right? All right notoriously even here I hate business meetings right thank God we only have one a year thank you Jesus why is that it brings the worst out of us even within the church there's pettiness there's preferences there's all kinds of stuff that divide us even within these us here we come in here and so the world I believe I share that not to like pick on us or pick on other churches I I believe this is all evidence of God coming back but it also should lead us to do what we should want to be the church the bride that's beautiful that's ready." [56:57] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So God doesn't want us to be ignorant about this thing that a lot of us, and He uses nice language, and so do we, like they passed away, or they're with the Lord now. They died. My great-grandparents died. My grandparents died. My parents are still alive. They will die. You know loved ones that have died. I know this, and some of us are in the midst still of the grief. I'm going to talk about the grief in a moment. But death is a reality in life. The wages of sin is death. We will physically die, but we don't have to spiritually die. We can be with Jesus forever. That's the hope." [59:27] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "There is a day where you will get new clothing. The nakedness, if you go back to the Garden of Eden, it says that they were naked and they were ashamed and they hid from God. The first thing about sin that came into a perfect world was shame. It was vulnerability. It was revealing and exposing themselves that they were no longer in a right relationship with God. And so what did they do? They hid. But then what did God do? He clothed them. Right? Listen, it might not talk about the bloody mess, but God had to do it. He had to take an animal that he had created and made animal garments for them through the shedding of blood to cover and atone their sin. That's what Jesus did on the cross for you and me." [01:02:30] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "We will be with him for a moment. What's it say? Forever. We can't even comprehend that. We will be with the Lord forever. Your life and my life is abysmal. It's like a blimp on the, it's not even a blimp on the radar. It's not even on the, it's just so small. It's so, you know, it's described like dust, like wind, like grass that burns. It's just going to fade in and out. But not eternally. We'll be with the Lord forever. We'll spend more time in eternity than we do here on earth. Come on. But all our focus is here now. But our focus should be on what is to come and what the Lord has. And we should live our life the best we can. So that we impact others to be able to go with us. Amen?" [01:16:12] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "So death does come with grief, but it's not the end. May we have confidence in this. And if you need a greater example of this, Jesus loved Lazarus. That was his friend. I mean, I can't wait to see this dude. I mean, God wept one time, or he wept a couple times, but weeping over somebody's death, the only time we saw it was Lazarus. He was such a good friend. And Mary and Martha were such good friends. When Jesus showed up, Lazarus had been dead four days. But he told them not to worry. Sit there and say, you believe in me? And they did. He goes, look, I'm the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me, though they die, they shall live." [01:09:11] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Now someone may say, I want the Lord to come now. And I'm with you. But we must be patient because the Lord is patient. And here's where I'm transitioning for you. If you're in this room today and you don't know Jesus, the Lord is patient on your behalf. Right now, the Lord is patient. The Lord is wanting you to get this. The Lord is wanting you to say, I need Jesus. I want this resurrection in this life. I want this God that's the one God, the one that's the way, the truth, and the life. I want this Jesus that can calm the storm, this Jesus that can heal the sick, but I want the Jesus that can conquer death because that is the final enemy that will be destroyed." [01:19:15] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "So if you're in here and you've never done that, today is your day. Maybe you've never been baptized. Maybe you've never belonged to a church. There's a lot of churches. There's a lot of churches. I believe this is a good one. There's a lot of good ones in our area. But if you need to find a church home, you're home. Come on in here. You'll find this Jesus. He shows up occasionally, by the way. Come on, y'all. Does Jesus show up sometimes? All the time, I hope. you need this Jesus, come. Come up here, and Randy and I will be up here. You can come talk to Chairman Deacons or myself and say, hey, I want Jesus. I want to give him my life." [01:20:31] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "I do believe Jesus said this, come to me all you who are weary. And heavy laden. And what's he going to give you? His rest. So whatever death or pain you experience right now, this whole text reminds me of one thing. God is greater than anything on earth, and he's even conquered death. Come to that Savior now." [01:21:58] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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